Italy: the Senate votes the trust on the anti-migrant law

The Italian Senate voted today on the confidence in a very controversial decree on security and immigration, wanted by Matteo Salvini, leader of the Lega (right). The Italian populist government won the vote with 163 yes, 59 no and 19 abstentions, including five senators of the 5-star movement in power (M5S, antisystem) opposed to the text.

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The Chamber of Deputies must approve, by the end of November, this text adopted at the end of September by the League of the Trade Union Government / M5S, so that it will finally enter into force. The two sides should not have problems in the lower house of parliament to pass this law, given the majority they have. The government yesterday posed the question of trust in the Senate to speed up the adoption of the law strongly desired by Salvini, Minister of Interior, while the elected officials of the M5S had presented dozens of amendments.

The text aims in particular to make exceptional humanitarian residence permits currently granted to 25% of asylum seekers. It also provides for an emergency procedure in order to expel any applicant who is "dangerous". It is also reorganizing the reception system for asylum seekers, who were still 146,000 at the end of October and will be grouped into large centers through savings measures. In the safety component, the text generalizes the use of electric guns and facilitates the evacuation of occupied buildings.

In a statement on Monday, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expressed concern about some measures contained in the text that "do not provide adequate guarantees, especially for vulnerable people or those with special needs such as victims of violence. "abuse and torture." "Lawmakers still have time to do the right thing, not just for asylum seekers and refugees, but also for the long and proud Italian tradition of respecting human rights," he said. # 39; UNHCR.

"Security and immigration decree, 12:19 pm, the Senate approves Decret Salvini, a historic day", welcomed on Wednesday by Matteo Salvini after this vote of confidence. On the other hand, the Italian Council for Refugees (CIR) declared itself "seriously concerned" by the adoption of this law in the Senate, stating that "the abolition of humanitarian protection will create thousands of people in an irregular situation and only a very limited number can be repatriated. "